Who can take the ACM™ Certification examination?

The ACM™ Certification examination is available to registered nurses and social workers. However, there are specific eligibility requirements necessary to take the examination. These requirements include a blend of education, paid work experience* and professional practice:

A Registered Nurse (RN) applicant must possess a valid and current nursing license that is in good standing. RN applicants must provide a nursing license number, state and expiration date.

Social Worker (SW) applicants must have a Bachelor's or Master's degree from an accredited school of social work OR a valid social work license that is in good standing. SW applicants must provide the degree, name of school and year of completion OR a current social work license number, state and expiration date.

All applicants must have at least one (1) year**, or 2,080 hours, of supervised, paid work experience employed as a case manager, or in a role that falls within the Scope of Services and Standards of Practice of a case manager, by a Health Delivery System.

**Candidates with less than two (2) years of experience must provide supervisor contact information and an attestation that they have at least one (1) year of supervised case management experience on the ACM™ application. The NBCM recognizes that because case management experience, supervision and education, some case managers may be qualified to sit for the exam after only one (1) year of experience.

If an applicant meets the eligibility requirements of both an RN and SW, they must indicate which exam they wish to take and provide the applicable documentation of eligibility.

*Paid or unpaid internship experience does not count toward full-time work experience.

How do I apply to take the exam?

Applications to take the exam are available on this website (click Application in the navigation bar at the top of this page). If you have questions, you may call the national ACMA office at (501) 907-2262.

When can I take the exam?

Candidates may submit their application at any time. All applications must be accompanied by full payment of application fees to be considered complete and ready for approval.

Upon receipt of approval, candidates will receive a scheduling notice from ACM's testing partner and will be directed to schedule their examination through the testing partner's online
portal, or by contacting the testing partner by phone. All initial examinations must be scheduled and confirmed for a date within three (3) months following receipt of the application approval.(Example: If a candidate applies to take the initial exam on January 1st and receives approval, the candidate must schedule and take the exam by no later than March 31st.)

Failure of a candidate to schedule or take their examination within this three-month period will result in the forfeiture of all fees.

How much does the exam cost?

The application fee is $325. Candidates deemed ineligible to sit for the examination will receive a refund of the examination fee less a $75 processing fee.

What happens if I miss my exam date?

Candidates must take the exam within their allotted testing period. (For example, initial examinations must be scheduled and confirmed for a date within three (3) months following receipt of application approval.) Candidates can reschedule an examination one time within the same testing period if they contact PSI/AMP within two business days prior to their scheduled exam. (To reschedule an exam, call PSI/AMP at (888) 519-9901. Do not contact the assessment center directly.)

If a candidate fails to report for an examination, fails to appropriately reschedule an examination within two business days of the scheduled testing date or reschedules an examination more than once, the examination registration fees will be forfeited.

What material will be on the exam?

ACMA makes an outline of content categories publicly available for candidate review. The outline is included within the ACM Candidate Handbook.

How was the examination content developed?

The content of the ACM™ (Accredited Case Manager) Examination is defined by a national job analysis study. The study is performed every few years and involves surveying practitioners in the field to identify tasks that are performed routinely and considered important to competent case management practice. The examination is developed through a combined effort of qualified subject-matter experts and testing professionals who construct the examination in accordance with the ACM™ (Accredited Case Manager) Examination content outline. Click here to learn more about exam development.

How can I verify the status of an ACM™ credential?

Status of an ACM™ credential can be verified online, by written request (mail, fax or e-mail) to the ACMA National Office. Inquiries about an individual’s credential status will be answered with the category, certification number, validation period and statement of standing.

How Can I Study for the Exam?

It is never too early to start making your plan for exam preparation! Start by accessing the ACM Candidate Handbook to ensure you have the most current information about the test. The handbook contains important information such as examination procedures the content outline, scoring and policies.

Candidates should also take advantage of any available preparatory workshops or study groups as well as the ACM™ Certification Study Guide. The study guide is an all-inclusive resource for case managers preparing to take the ACM Certification Exam and includes opportunities for practice and self-assessment. All materials are written by leaders in the case management profession to help challenge and prepare candidates for the exam. Click here to learn more and to purchase your electronic guide and assessment tools today.

Local ACMA Chapters can be a great resource when studying for the ACM exam. Many state chapters have study sessions and groups that meet on a regular schedule. You can find the nearest chapter by clicking here.

When purchasing any preparatory course, be aware that ACMA has not provided, to any third party, any details regarding exam content beyond the publicly available materials published on ACMA’s website. Any preparatory course or study materials available from a third party are based on their own knowledge, experience and publicly available information. Preparatory courses may or may not accurately predict the material that is on the examination. No developer of preparatory materials can know for certain what will appear on the examination, nor can they guarantee that you will achieve a passing score on the examination. Be wary of any party making such claims.

What happens if I do not pass the exam?

Candidates who do not pass the exam can apply for a retest through their ACM portal. Retesting must occur within six (6) months of the initial exam date, and there is no limit to the number of times a candidate can retest during the six month period.

Passing scores for test candidates who did not successfully pass both the Core and Simulation Examinations, but did pass one of them, will be kept on file for six months from date of issue. Test candidates can apply to take only the portion of the examination they did not pass. If retesting has not occurred within the designated six months, or if the candidate does not successfully pass both portions of the exam within the designated six months, the original passing score will not be applicable toward certification and the candidate will be required to sit for the entire examination.

How Do I Apply to Retest?

To apply for a retest, candidates should go to the ACM Portal and log in using the credentials provided at the time of their initial account setup. Clicking on the “Retest Application” tab available within the account will open a pre-populated application form. Candidates should verify the information is correct and complete, and then submit, their application for approval.

Verification of receipt will be emailed by ACMA. Once candidates receive a scheduling notice from AMP, the exam can be scheduled online or by phone with the testing provider.

How Much is the ACM Retest?

Candidates are only required to retest for the section(s) of the exam they did not pass. The fee to retest for both sections is $325. The fee to retest for only one section (Core or Simulation) is $190.

What are my recertification requirements?

The ACM™ credential is valid for a four (4) year period. To recertify, forty (40) hours of continuing education are required.

Thirty (30) of the forty (40) hours must be specific to health care delivery system case management in your field of practice. The remaining ten (10) hours can be non-case management related.

Ten (10) hours of non-case management specific continuing education must be related to the practice of healthcare in the certificant’s field of practice.

Approved ACM educational programs must be sponsored or presented by ACM approved providers, and include courses for which the content/subject matter is specific to either (A) health care delivery system case management or (B) related to the practice of healthcare in the certificant’s field of practice.

Approved CE providers are:

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)

American Case Management Association (ACMA)*

All state nursing and social work board approved educational courses

*All ACMA courses are approved by both nursing and social work accrediting organizations.

Where can I find additional information?

More information regarding the ACM™ Certification can be found on the ACMA website and in the Candidate Handbook. ACMA staff is also on hand to answer any questions you may have. Click here to contact us.